The housewatch wakes you, hitting the intercom yelling "first due box!". At o-dark-thirty did you hear the address? Did it tell you how many lengths you'll need?




Author's Note: Purpose of post is not to specifically critique the actions in any video and/or photographs, but to prompt discussion and illustrate various points. No fireground operation is 100% perfect. - bc

A recent video from D.C.'s Engine Company 4 via STATter911 is superb footage for teaching about sizing up the initial hoseline stretch. It's a short two and a half blocks up the street from Engine 4's quarters. With a quick turnout and other companies on our heels we need to be certain of our positioning, hoseline estimate and sizeup.

00:05 - Having spotted our hydrant, and getting ready to layout, we can see fire showing as Communications starts dispatching the box assignment.
- Do you always layout going in?


00:44 - Pulling up on Side Alpha what do we see other than fire showing? Cars parked in front, bicycles on the porch. Why did we stop short and not pull past? See that One-Way street sign on the Bravo Side? Suppose we did pull past, to leave room for the truck, and blocked that cross street. Now we've created a jam for companies assigned to the rear or whose running route might use that one way street.
- How far are we from the fire building? How many lengths will it take to reach this fire?

00:55 - While the layout man was doing his job, the wagon driver or officer switched over to the fireground channel.
- When you're getting ready for work, is your radio already set on your "working" channel or do you fumble with it before grabbing ahold of that shoulder load?

1:02 - How much fire is truly showing? "Don't let the visual cloud the mental". One window with fire rolling across the porch. Could there be more behind it? Yes, but for right now all we are estimating is a hard left turn once the barman gets that door open. The fire has obviously vented itself and we don't have any smoke to try and read.
- What line would you have pulled off your engine for this fire? Think of your apparatus positioning - how much hose do you have on your shoulder and you've only reached the front porch?

1:07 - The engine company is a team. We have cars parked in front of our fire building, so every member needs to watch for all the possible points where our line is going to get hung up.

1:11 - Second due engine is on the scene reporting their layout instructions.
- What do you expect of your second due company when they arrive at you fire? Are they backing you up or do they have a different, specific assignment?

1:12 - Point of attack. Your own estimate may vary depending on your beds, but lets say we've stretched three lengths, 150'. Our layout man and wagon driver have flaked out the first 50 for us and now we settled down on the porch. Do we have enough hose? Do we have too much hose?
- From the time we arrived to the time where we've gone up onto the porch, has our fire significantly changed?
- Did you have your facepiece already adjusted so you can just slip it on and pull up your hood?

2:05 - Second due engine moves into its assigned position. From earlier, where we heard them give their layout instructions, the second due engine has now moved into that cross street that we did not block. (In Washington, D.C. the second and fourth due engine companies report to the rear.)
- While you're waiting for water what should you be looking and listening for?


2:15 - Size-up reported from the rear. We've noticed that our fire hasn't made any significant growth as our line is charged. Having kept a calm, cool attitude, we've heard the size-up from the first company in the rear, nothing showing. We also know the number of stories, two. This helps confirm our earlier estimate and gives us more to think about. If we had fire showing from Side Bravo or Charlie, we should anticipate a longer push into the back rooms. The interior layout might be a straight run, or it might not. Now, we have fire neatly "contained" in a front room. Our stretch will be short and have an immediate turn, probably, and will require a lot of chasing kinks on the porch and sidewalk.

2:26 - Truck on the scene throwing ladders.
- How long do you typically have to wait for a truck, or other company, to arrive and begin working on those necessary tasks?

Moving in. We can only move in once we confirm we have water and a working nozzle. The old instruction was that you slightly opened the nozzle to let the air escape as the hoseline is charged. Instead, you should open it all the way and allow water to really flow through. This will clear out any obstructions, or let you know the nozzle is obstructed, depending on the nozzle you are using. Your pattern should have been checked when you came in to work, but if not, now is a good time. We also want to make sure that our team is together; is the backup man with you and is the layout firefighter ready with a loop or a bend to help you make the quick left turn. Are they both "ready to work" or will you have to stop while one of them slips his facepiece on?

Estimating the stretch. One length from the wagon to the front door. Depending on floor and location, one length per floor. One working length to finish up. It's a general rule of thumb that definitely varies with building layout and conditions showing, but it is also a deliberate, disciplined method to ensure the initial attack goes as planned.

"The First Line Determines The Result"



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